


For Lost Time

by ArliahTheBard (arliah)



Category: Distant Shores (Visual Novel)
Genre: Alternate Ending, F/M, Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:46:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25387015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arliah/pseuds/ArliahTheBard
Summary: Three years after returning to her own time, Victoria Esquivel feels like she's finally ready to move on. She has chosen to give up on trying to return to Edward Mortemer and focus on the success of her career as an actress instead. From having nightmares to feeling the burden of guilt every time she tries to find happiness in her new life, however, Victoria realizes it's easier said than done. And an unexpected guest ruins all the progress she's made.
Relationships: Edward Mortemer/Main Character (Distant Shores)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	For Lost Time

**Author's Note:**

> This is an alternate ending to Distant Shores. I feel like the final chapter fell short on being emotionally satisfying/impactful. This fic is longer than it should be. It's a hot mess, I know, but it's purely self-indulgent. :) Disclaimer: English isn't my first language. None of this probably makes sense, yet here I am, writing it into existence, anyway. :) All characters belong to Pixelberry.

“Victoria, who are you wearing tonight?”

“Who’s your date this evening?”

“Sources saw you and Raleigh Carrera together at the Vinyls. Is it true that you’re dating?”

Victoria purses her lips before forcing a smile. She tells them her dress is a custom-made Zadie Choi and no, she and Raleigh are just friends. If she had a dollar for every question about her clothes or her love life, she’d be twice as rich by now. Not that it matters to her, anyway. It must sound cliche, but she’s never been one to fall for the glamorous side of a celebrity’s life. It’s not something she has coveted. She loves acting, though, and it will never change. She fell in love with it as a child, sitting with her grandmother in her living room, watching their favorite romantic comedies from the fifties.

But after what happened to her three years ago, being hurtled into the past and meeting the crew of Poseidon’s Revenge, this life has lost even more of its former appeal. Especially lately, it has become less about the craft and more about… _God, what is it about nowadays, anyway?_

A million aspiring actors would kill to switch places with her and she should be grateful. It’s not every day you get the chance to get that big break. Oddly enough, her career skyrocketed after she walked out on the set of the pirate TV show where she was auditioning for a role. Right after she came back to her own time. A couple of months later, she met Thomas Hunt. They were introduced by someone she used to work with. Thomas had asked her to star in his period film, _The Siren’s Call_. Yes, Victoria swore off pirate movies. And yes, she realized how ironic it was. They hit too close to home, reminded her of what she’s lost. They reminded her of him. Edward Mortemer.

Agreeing to work with Thomas was a wise decision. Perhaps the best one she has ever made. At the time, working hard meant less time spent dwelling on what could have been. If she was too tired to cry herself to sleep at the end of the day, then all the better. The first few months were absolute torture. The only comfort she found was in knowing she was making a name for herself. Finally getting the chance to follow her dreams. It was a step in the right direction.

“Vic, you with me?” The voice of Kian, her assistant, snatches her attention. She is back on the red carpet premiere of her latest movie. The two of them walk towards the entrance to the theater while he relays the day’s messages to her.

“You’ve got a couple of photoshoots coming up. Some contracts the execs want you to look over.” Victoria continues to smile at the paparazzi as they make their way while Kian breathlessly reads all her messages out loud. “That guy Robert called again. It’s the thirteenth time today. He said it’s urgent.” Victoria slows to a halt, a hint of a frown threatening to form on her face before she catches herself. She plasters a big smile back on for the cameras.

“What did he want this time?” she asks without breaking the facade. Robert had found her shortly after she started filming _The Siren’s Call_.

“He said, and I quote, ‘I’ve figured it out. We can finally go back. Meet me at 8 tonight, sharp, or I’m leaving without you’ and then he sent this address along with the text.” Kian shows her the address she has come to know by heart. It’s the same one they’ve been meeting at almost every week for three years. An abandoned apartment complex near the museum where the pirate’s exhibit - sans compass - is being displayed. Through methods unbeknown to Victoria, Robert had managed to steal it. Even so, it has never worked. One can only have their hopes crushed so many times. And she has already reached her limit.

“Should I tell him you’re going?” Kian asks.

Victoria pauses. If she skips the after-party, she’ll be able to make it in time for whatever Robert’s got planned. But does she want to go through this again? At what point does she say enough is enough? “No,” she says. “Tell him I can’t make it.”

That night, like every other night since her return, she dreams of Edward. It’s always the same one. Victoria struggles in the water, swimming against the current of the stormy sea. Edward stands against the ledge. He’s reaching out to her, but someone’s holding him back. Faceless sailors. She gives it her all, trying to make her way back to him, but she’s no match to the crashing waves. Edward, along with the ship he’s on, shrinks as the distance between them grows larger. Water fills her lungs and soon, all that’s left is the taste of seawater and the feeling of sinking, an invisible anchor dragging her under. Usually, this is where the dream ends but this time, there’s something different. Her consciousness is slipping at a slow and agonizing pace when she notices a figure in the water swimming towards her. Even from afar, she knows it’s Edward. As darkness consumes her, she feels the familiar pull of the compass fading. Then the dream is over. And Edward is gone.

She wakes up with a start in the middle of the night, drenched in cold sweat and gasping for air. Her face is damp with tears. It takes her a couple of hours to calm down and fall asleep again.

The next day, Victoria finds herself in a quaint bistro not far from her apartment building. After signing a deal for an upcoming action movie, her agent advised her to at least establish a good relationship with her co-star, Noah Enriquez, to sell their on-screen chemistry. The deal is simple and pretty straightforward. Go on a date. Somewhere public, so that they are seen together, then get a few candids taken by a couple of paparazzi who ‘happen to be there’. She knows how to sell this and has done it a dozen times.

She sits in a booth right next to the window and takes in the venue. The tables are far apart that no one can accidentally eavesdrop on their conversation but still close enough for people to recognize them from five tables away. Perfect for the paparazzi on standby. As always, Victoria is twenty minutes early. Still shaken up from her nightmare, she orders a drink to calm herself.

Two drinks in and about forty-five minutes later and still no date.

“Well, this is just unprofessional,” she mumbles to herself. She sends Kian an angry text, telling him that if Noah doesn’t show up within the next fifteen minutes, she’s leaving. After hitting ‘Send’ and locking her phone, Victoria stares at it almost absentmindedly. Her disinterested, if not a little annoyed, face stares back at her. It feels like forever ago when Edward marveled at something as mundane as a mobile phone. She remembers the confusion on his face when she showed him the photos she had saved. If only she had taken a photo of him as well. Not that it would make much difference, anyway. Unfortunately, she no longer has her old phone. It’s probably buried underneath the sand somewhere in the 18th century. She chuckles bitterly. A pang of regret follows closely behind her nostalgia and if it wasn’t for the sound of someone clearing their throat, Victoria would have been lost in another one of her miserable musings.

“If you’re waiting for a text from me, you’ll be disappointed.” She looks up to the source of the voice only to find Noah Enriquez smiling at her. He’s got a boyish grin that would have probably rendered her speechless earlier on in her career. Without bothering to stand up, Victoria puts her phone away before taking a sip of her drink. “I hate it. Texting, I mean,” he says. “Or phones in general. I’m a disgrace to fellow millennials, I know.”

“You’re late,” she says while tapping on the surface of her wristwatch.

“I’m terribly sorry. I’m not always like this, I swear.” There’s that grin again. “I got a bit sidetracked on my way here.” Noah places a small box in front of her. It’s from her favorite bakery.

“I called your assistant to ask what you liked.” He rubs the back of his head, still smiling as brightly as he did when he arrived. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“You can’t be late on a first date and then expect me to just let it go, you know?” she says with air quotes on the word ‘date’. Victoria feigns a scowl as she unties the ribbon on the box before opening it. Inside is an assortment of cupcakes in all her favorite flavors. “Okay, yeah, you’re forgiven.” Noah visibly relaxes in his seat as she takes a bite out of one of the cupcakes.

“I’m Noah, by the way.” He shakes her hand. She’s already familiar with his work, of course. Victoria regards his ripped jeans and leather jacket. He’s got the ‘ruggedly handsome’ look down to a T and he knows it. Still, it’s refreshing to meet a celebrity who doesn’t assume she already knows who they are.

“Victoria,” she says, still chewing. Noah calls their waiter’s attention so they can order dinner. Once they’ve made their choice, they fall into an awkward silence that lasts for a couple of minutes until Noah breaks it.

“You’ve got a little something over there,” he says. He gestures to her face. “Frosting. Here, let me.” He takes a napkin and reaches out to wipe the side of her lips clean. Heat rises in her cheeks as the two of them pause to gaze at each other. The distant sound of shutter clicks breaks their eye contact. _Right on cue and subtle as ever._ Once the awkward silence is back, Victoria gets the feeling that someone is watching them. Not by paparazzi, no. At least not the ones she knows are already there on purpose. She looks around the restaurant and out the window but notices nothing out of the ordinary.

The rest of the date goes better than Victoria expected. They mostly talk about their other projects, and how Noah does his own stunts. Victoria learns that he doesn’t know how to cook and his family is overseas, so he lives mostly off of takeout. It’s very rare to fall into an easy conversation with a famous celebrity, and Victoria is pleasantly surprised by how comfortable they are with each other right off the bat. He asks her what she did for a living before making it big, which leads to them sharing horror stories of their time doing odd jobs in between auditions. By the time their dinner is over, Victoria is convinced that she wants to see Noah again outside of work. As friends.

Finally, dinner ends and Noah insists on walking her to her apartment. If it wasn’t for the fact that it’s already dark outside, Victoria would have refused the offer and taken a cab instead. But her place is only a few blocks away. Besides, the paparazzi are gone and the weather’s nice enough for an evening stroll. Noah calls his driver to tell him about the change of plans. The walk itself is uneventful, although Victoria keeps looking over her shoulder, unable to shake the feeling that someone’s following them. Noah doesn’t seem to notice it at all.

The end of her dates, staged though they may be, is the part Victoria dreads the most. It’s a line she knows she doesn’t have the willingness to cross. A commitment she cannot make. Maybe not ever. She turns to give him a kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye. She is watching Noah walk away when the strange feeling returns. This time, she knows she’s not imagining it. Someone is watching her. A rustle in the bushes makes her jump but there’s no one there. With hurried steps, she rushes past the lobby, giving the receptionist a nervous smile. Victoria sighs in relief when she runs into Emmett, a mild-mannered, middle-aged man and a member of the building’s security personnel.

“My wife loved the movie, Vic. Thanks again for the tickets,” he says as she approaches him. He notices the panicked look in her eyes and asks what was wrong. Victoria explains to him what had happened outside the building. Before escorting her to the elevator, Emmett reassures her that he and his partner, Ralph, will look into it. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened and most of the time it turns out to be nothing at all. Still, she’s glad that Emmett is taking her seriously.

In her dimly-lit foyer, she double checks the locks on the door. She’s safe. There’s never been an intruder the whole time she’s been living here. At least none that she knows of. There’s likely no cause for concern. Once she has settled in, a familiar and overwhelming sense of guilt sinks in. _Shit, it’s happening again._ It’s a nasty little thing that happens whenever she finds herself enjoying another person’s company. Like she’s betraying Edward for feeling even a tiny ounce of happiness without him. All her newfound determination goes right out the window at the thought of Edward living the rest of his life alone, always in search of her and awaiting her return. Meanwhile, it’s only been three years for her and she has already called it quits. Her chest tightens as she struggles to catch her breath.

In a fit of panic, Victoria reaches into her purse for her phone while she marches towards her bedroom. She’ll call Robert and let him know she’s willing to try again.

Phone in hand, she dials the number over and over again but it keeps going straight to voicemail. Did he make it back to Edward’s time after all? If that’s the case, then the someone somewhere must have it in for her. The one time she refuses to go along with Robert’s plan and it might have actually worked? She tries calling him a few more times to no success. _No, there has to be another explanation._ Resigning herself to not being able to talk to Robert, she throws herself on the bed. She’s not getting any answers tonight, so she might as well try to get some rest. But not after a warm bath to calm her nerves.

The intercom dings softly that Victoria almost doesn’t hear it through the sound of running water as she prepares her bath. She throws on her robe before heading for the front door. On the monitor, she sees a familiar man in his navy blue uniform and two more strangers a few feet behind him.

“Is everything all right, Emmett?” she asks.

“Listen, about what you said earlier.” Victoria lifts her hand to rest on her chest, feeling the quickening of her heartbeat. “You were right. Someone was trying to get into the building through the employee entrance. Ralph didn’t recognize him so we questioned him together. Said he knows you.” Emmett snorts as he shakes his head. “Like I’ve never heard that one before. Anyway, we just wanted to let you know before management decides what to do with him.” He signals for the two figures behind him to come closer. The other uniformed man, Ralph, drags an unknown man forward by the arm until his face is more visible under the light

The color drains from Victoria’s face once she gets a good look at him. Her eyes must be playing tricks on her. Without thinking twice, she fumbles with the locks and pulls the door open. There’s no way the man in front of her is the same man who has been haunting her dreams for the past three years. That’s what she tells herself over and over again, a mantra to keep her sane. Yet here he is, Edward Mortemer. 

“Long time no see, Miss Esquivel.”

Edward strides in slow, awkward steps into the living room while Victoria follows closely behind him. She had just told the security personnel that she knows the man and that it’s okay to let him in. To say that this is all too surreal is a gross understatement.

Victoria must have already fallen asleep and is now dreaming. Or maybe she’s had a bit too much to drink at dinner. She keeps her distance as she wraps her arms around herself. It’s the same face, the same voice. But the clothes he’s wearing are doing nothing to convince her this really is Edward and not just a figment of her imagination. The ‘Edward’ in her living room is wearing a white, button-up shirt underneath a crisp, tweed jacket and dark slacks.

He must have noticed her staring at him. With trembling hands he straightens his clothes, looking uncharacteristically uncomfortable and out of place. His usual bravado is nowhere to be seen on his face. Instead, he gives her a sheepish smile that looks almost apologetic. “Robert gave these to me. He said I’d look ridiculous in my old clothes.” He’s not wrong about that, but there’s no doubt that he doesn’t feel at ease in the clothes he’s currently in.

Still, no word comes out of her mouth.

“I had half a mind to go back the way I came. After I saw you with that man, I-” his voice trails off. “I didn’t mean to presume you’d still want to be with me but I couldn’t find my way back to the portal.” He chuckles softly and waves his hand in dismissal. “At least now, I understand how you must have felt when you went back in time. This place is...” The sigh that escapes him is heavy. “I don’t belong here, Miss Esquivel.”

There’s pain in his voice, even as he says her name the way he used to. Victoria watches as he walks around the living room, eyes scanning every single object that must seem alien to him. Finally, he stops a few feet right in front of her as he straightens his back and reaches into his jacket pocket. He tries to muster the resolve not to give himself away but Victoria knows better. “Robert wanted me to give you this letter,” he says before handing her a piece of paper. Victoria flinches as he takes a step towards her and the hurt is visible in his eyes. In spite of that, she takes the letter from him and begins reading.

_Victoria,_

_If you’re reading this, then that means my instructions were clear enough to guide Edward to you. It also means that we will never see each other again. I’ve figured out a way for this to work permanently._

_In a final attempt to right my wrongs, I’ve decided to heed Edward’s request and help him get through the portal while I stay behind. This is a one-way ticket. There’s no going back for either of us._

_No matter how foolish I think you both are, I know no two people who are as right for each other as you and Edward. Consider this my peace offering for everything I’ve put you through. Or a parting gift, if you will._

_Robert Jones_  
_Captain of the Damnation_

Once she’s done, she drops the piece of paper on the floor and when she looks up, she sees Edward only inches away from her, worry etched on his face. He cups her cheeks in his hands, wiping the tears she doesn’t realize are rolling down her cheeks away with his thumbs. She leans into his touch. This is real. Edward is here.

“I’m sorry I stopped trying, Edward. If I had known, I’d-” Edward shushes her with a kiss on top of her head. Victoria buries her face in his chest and wraps her hand around his waist. In his arms, she feels safe once more, as if no time has been lost between them. Her shoulders relax as Edward rubs her back soothingly and soon, her quiet sobs are no more.

“As I have said, I never expected you to be tied down to what we had. You have your whole life ahead of you. That you even tried at all is more than enough for me.” He pulls away from her but keeps his hand on her shoulders. “I would never lie to you. Losing you was one of the most painful things I have had to endure. But it’s nothing compared to knowing you’ve given up on any chance at finding happiness here.”

It comes as no surprise that Edward is as selfless as ever. After all, it’s one of the reasons Victoria fell for him in the first place.

“You’re one to talk,” she says. “I know you never stopped looking for me.” When Victoria visited the museum after her return to the present, she found out that Edward had died of old age, still on his quest to find her. “Until the very end.”

“I guess we’re both too stubborn for our own good.” His grin is brief and hollow. Edward steps back, his arms folded in front of him. “I had planned on talking to you as soon as I found you. But the moment I saw you, fear took hold of me.” Once more, he reaches into his pocket. He holds the compass in one hand but there’s something different about it. It no longer pulls at Victoria. “Robert gave me this, said it would lead me straight to you. I wandered aimlessly all day, not knowing where the compass will lead me. Or whether it even worked the way Robert said it would.” Edward’s expression twitches to a frown but it’s fleeting, almost like he’s making an effort not to let it show. “Until I saw you earlier this evening having dinner with that man, I thought surely this was all an unfortunate waste of time.”

Victoria takes the compass from him and turns it in her hands. “I’m guessing it’s no longer working, then?”

“That would be my guess.”

The compass, now dull and devoid of its powers, looks like an ordinary set prop. She can’t believe it used to be a sacred relic. Victoria closes her eyes as she holds onto it, trying to feel for its energy. Nothing. It’s odd knowing its hold on her no longer exists. She tosses it on the couch beside her and it lands with a soft thud. When she turns to face Edward again, his expression is unreadable.

Edward opens his mouth to say something but stops himself. Then it dawns on Victoria.

“When we were having dinner, that was you, then?” she asks. Edward nods. That uneasy feeling she had at the restaurant and on the way home, eventually leading him outside of her apartment building. Edward had followed them. It also means he saw her with Noah.

“Aren’t you going to ask me something else?” Victoria crosses her arms in front of her, one eyebrow raised.

Unsurprisingly, Edward catches her meaning. “You know I’m not one to feel jealous. You can kiss whomever you like.” The tension in his voice earlier is now replaced with playfulness and teasing.

“Oliver,” she says, grinning from ear to ear.

The laughter that comes out of him is hearty and it reaches his eyes this time. “Aye, you have made your point.”

“There is no one else, Edward.” Her voice is serious once more. Victoria may have decided to give up on returning to him in her moment of weakness but she has never even entertained the idea of being with someone else. And she needs him to know that. “Never was, never will be.”

Those words are all it takes for Edward to close the distance between them and hold her tight, and Victoria knows he’s been waiting to do this for a while. The instant their lips touch, she wastes no time. She wraps her arms around him and pulls him close, kissing him with the intensity worth three years of longing. It’s faint, but the smell of the sea lingers on his skin as she kisses her way down to his jaw, then much lower to his neck. She feels the vibration of the moans that escape him. They rumble from deep within him, hungry and impatient. Edward pulls her face up by the chin, capturing her lips once again in his. His tongue slides into her mouth, the heat between them making her knees buckle. She steadies herself before pulling away from a disgruntled Edward.

“Come with me,” she says, reaching out to him, and Edward takes her hand.

Edward stands by the doorway on Victoria’s orders. She works on lighting the scented candles and dimming the lights while Edward marvels at his surroundings. A hundred different questions must be on his mind right now, but those will have to wait.

Turning her back on him, she tugs at the belt of her robe, pulling it loose. From over her shoulder, she catches Edward watching her as she slips her garment off of her, letting it pool at her feet. His jaw tightens and his gaze is dark with want, enough to send shivers down her spine. Victoria fights the urge to rub her arms as her body, now exposed for him to see, tingles in anticipation. In a few, graceful steps, she walks across the room then climbs into the large, stone tub. The water is warm and smooth against her skin as Victoria moves to lean on the edge, resting her chin on top of her arms. A few feet away, Edward swallows hard and stares at her as she bites her lower lip.

“You may join me now. I think you’ve enjoyed the view long enough.”

“You will be the death of me, Victoria.” It doesn’t take long before Edward is out of his clothes and in the tub with her, and Victoria struggles to contain her excitement at his eagerness.

The two of them are a tangle of limbs, Victoria’s back pressed against Edward’s chest. She bucks her hips, rubbing against his cock and Edward moans against the back of her neck. His lips graze her shoulder. His hands wrap around her waist, one of them finds her breast and the other slides much, much lower. Victoria twitches in his arms as his hand slides between her thighs, teasing her entrance. She throws her head back when his fingers finally make their way inside of her. He pushes in and out of her in gentle strokes while his other hand pinches her nipple. She bites back her moans despite her muscles tightening around him as he hits all the right places.

But Edward is not having it.

Faster and more aggressively his fingers move, until Victoria’s knuckles are white from holding onto the edge of the tub. She doesn’t remember it being this mind-blowing the last time they were together, and he’s only using his hands. Not that she’s complaining. A storm is brewing inside of her, and her toes curl as her body begs for release. But then Edward slows down, reverting back to his feather-light strokes and soft kisses. Victoria groans in frustration.

“Edward, please,” she whispers. She turns her head to the side, their lips only a breath apart. The sound of his name from her lips is the only incentive he needs to pick up where they left off and within seconds she’s on the edge of pure bliss once more. This time, Edward obliges. He kisses her in between her jagged breathing. Victoria doesn’t hold back anymore and her voice echoes in the bathroom. Her knees shake and she almost curls up in a ball but Edward holds her firmly in place with one arm. Lights flash behind her lids as she finally surrenders herself to the pleasure. She feels the knots she never knew existed unravel in her. Once he knows she’s done, Edward rubs her shoulders for a few minutes until her heart has stopped racing.

“We’d best get out of the water unless you want to turn into a prune.” He chuckles softly.

Still basking in the afterglow, Victoria reluctantly pulls away from him. He gets out of the tub first then helps her out when he notices her knees wobble from the sudden movement. “We should probably get you cleaned up properly before we go to bed,” she says, gesturing towards the shower. “And please wipe that smug grin off your face.” She punches him on the shoulder though he barely flinches from the light impact.

“Can’t a man be happy about being reunited with the love of his life?” he says. Victoria rolls her eyes but smiles despite herself.

“We both know that’s not why you’re smiling.”

Victoria turns on the shower, making sure it’s the right temperature. Edward jumps when the water starts falling on them and she watches him in amusement.

“Now, who’s being smug?” He walks towards her until her back is against the wall. Victoria watches the water dripping from his hair, her eyes tracing its path down his chest. She doesn’t notice when Edward places his hands on the wall, on either side of her. He’s not done with her just yet and she has no desire to escape. Not from him. Never from him.

“Can’t a woman be happy about taking a shower with the love of her life?” she asks as she brushes the hair out of his face. This close, she notices how much he’s changed. Edward has aged. The lines under his eyes are more prominent than she remembers. She almost doesn’t notice the huge scar on his forehead, which has almost faded. A souvenir from his fight with the admiral. Her fingers trace its outline before moving down to his cheeks. His face is gaunt, his eyes haunted. Smiling, Edward plants a kiss on her wrist.

“I will never tire of hearing you say that, Victoria.”

“And I will never tire of hearing you say my name,” she says. Edward leans down to kiss her. It’s gentler but just as passionate as the last one. He grabs the small of her back and pulls her closer.

“Is that a challenge?” He says her name again, a whisper close to her ear, and Victoria feels the heat rising in her core. Steam fogs up the shower so much so that it feels like nothing and no one else exists except for the two of them. Edward lifts her up in his arms and she wraps her legs around his waist. She holds onto him as he moves against her. His thrusts start out slow at first then he picks up speed until they’re both gasping for air, both lost in euphoria.

He makes love to her once more after they’ve finished drying off. And a few more times once they’re in bed. Edward reacquaints himself with her body, exploring every inch in new ways each time. By dawn, Victoria’s eyes are heavy with sleep. She rests her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat, while he traces the outline of her curves with his fingers. They lie like this until they both succumb to their exhaustion. Even then, their desperate need to hold and be held by each other is insatiable, falling asleep wrapped in each other’s arms.

Victoria wakes up a little after noon. She rubs her eyes as she sits up, groaning at the pain in her limbs. Last night is catching up with her and yet there’s a satisfied smile on her face. She touches her lips, a bit swollen from having been bitten by Edward.

Her breath catches in her throat when she realizes that Edward is no longer sleeping next to her. She calls out to him but there’s no answer.

Ignoring the pain, she gets out of bed and throws her robe back on before running out of the bedroom in a frantic rush. This must be the universe’s twisted way of getting back at her. She checks every room she passes. By the time she reaches the other side of the foyer, she’s already in tears. That’s when she also hears the noise coming from the kitchen.

Careful not to get her hopes up, Victoria crosses the threshold and then she sees him: Edward, a white bed sheet wrapped around his waist and bathed in midday sunlight like a Greek god. She forces a smile when he notices her looking at him. However, even as he walks towards her, Victoria can’t shake the feeling that he’s just going to vanish into thin air.

“I thought you were gone.” She pulls her in a tight embrace, afraid to let go.

“I’m not going anywhere, I promise,” he reassures her. Victoria realizes she’s going to have to live in fear every day, never knowing if Edward is really here for good. Unless…

“There’s something I need to see. I need to know you’re not just going to disappear on me one day.”

A couple of hours later and they’re both standing in front of the museum. Without wasting another second, Victoria leads Edward to the pirate exhibit and he holds her hand the entire time.

The portrait that greets them, right in the center of the exhibit is not that of Edward’s but of Robert’s. Information on him says he took the role of Captain of the Damnation after Edward mysteriously disappeared without a trace. Robert pronounced him dead a few days later. Together, the two of them listen to the exhibit curator as she tells them tales of their friends, now long gone. As they are leaving, Edward takes a moment to look at the exhibit once more, focusing on the portraits of his former crew.

“I guess now we can safely say that you are stuck with me, Victoria.” There’s an undisguised sadness in his voice.

“Do you regret it? Wish you could go back to them?” She dreads what his answer might be. “Last night, you said you didn’t belong here.” She frowns in confusion when Edward simply laughs.

“Well, that is true and I stand by it. I don’t belong here the same way you don’t belong in the 18th century.” He lifts her hand to his lips and kisses her knuckles. “But you and I belong to each other, heart and soul. The ‘when’ is simply irrelevant.”


End file.
